BTIG has maintained its Buy rating and $2.50 price target for Lucid (NASDAQ:LCID) Diagnostics Inc (NASDAQ: LUCD), a company specializing in diagnostic solutions.
The firm's confidence in Lucid Diagnostics stems from the potential formalization of Medicare coverage, which is expected to be a significant catalyst for the company's growth in the near future.
Lucid Diagnostics has been in active discussions with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), following a foundational Local Coverage Determination (LCD) established by CMS last year.
The test in focus is EsoGuard, designed to screen the approximately 30 million Americans at risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). With the U.S. market opportunity estimated at around $60 billion, Lucid's early stages of commercializing EsoGuard could be transformative for the company.
The BTIG analyst highlighted the recent investor meetings with Lucid Diagnostics' management team, noting the company's small market cap but also recognizing the potential for significant stock movements similar to other specialty diagnostic (Dx) companies upon achieving key milestones.
The analyst's optimism is based on the precedent set by CMS pricing and the ongoing dialogue between Lucid and CMS, suggesting that Medicare coverage is likely a question of timing rather than possibility.
In other recent news, PAVmed (NASDAQ:PAVM) Inc. has deconsolidated its subsidiary, Lucid Diagnostics, from its financial statements, a move aimed at maintaining its Nasdaq listing. This strategic decision will exclude Lucid's operating losses from PAVmed's consolidated financial statements, potentially boosting PAVmed's stockholder equity. Despite the deconsolidation, PAVmed remains Lucid's largest shareholder.
In parallel, Lucid Diagnostics has reported a significant 500% year-over-year increase in revenue for the second quarter of 2024, reaching $1 million. The company also noted a substantial rise in the volume of EsoGuard tests, marking a 31% sequential increase and a 44% year-over-year growth. Lucid Diagnostics has partnered with Front Line Mobile Health to increase early detection of esophageal cancer in firefighters, leveraging Lucid's EsoGuard Esophageal DNA test.
Despite a decrease in payment rate due to medically unnecessary claims and a backlog of $12.5 million in claims, Lucid Diagnostics is actively working to secure broad coverage and reimbursement for EsoGuard.
Analysts from Needham and Cantor Fitzgerald expect improvements in Lucid Diagnostics' revenue growth as the company begins to process claims and collect payments. They also anticipate potential benefits as the company secures coverage from Medicare and other insurance providers.
InvestingPro Insights
While BTIG maintains a positive outlook on Lucid Diagnostics (NASDAQ:LUCD), recent InvestingPro data provides additional context to the company's financial situation. Despite the potential catalyst of Medicare coverage, investors should be aware of some challenging metrics.
InvestingPro data shows that Lucid Diagnostics has a market capitalization of $42.3 million, with a striking revenue growth of 379.19% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024. This aligns with the company's early commercialization stage of EsoGuard mentioned in the article. However, the company's gross profit margin stands at -67.39%, indicating significant costs associated with its operations.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Lucid Diagnostics is quickly burning through cash and is not profitable over the last twelve months. This suggests that while the potential market opportunity is substantial, as noted in the article, the company faces financial challenges in the near term.
For investors considering BTIG's bullish stance, it's worth noting that analysts do not anticipate the company will be profitable this year, according to another InvestingPro Tip. This information adds nuance to the growth expectations and potential timeline for Lucid Diagnostics to capitalize on its market opportunity.
InvestingPro offers 8 additional tips for Lucid Diagnostics, providing a more comprehensive analysis for those interested in delving deeper into the company's prospects.
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